Slide buckle



Jan. 2, 1934.

H. G. LITTLEJOHN.

SLI

DE BUCKLE Filed Feb. 14, 1933 Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES SLIDE BUCKLE Henry G.

Littlejohn, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 14, 1933. Serial No. 656,728

Claims.

5 is in the nature of an improvement on the patent of Fenton, No. 1,892,641, granted December 27, 1932. I

The invention consists of ,a strap-engaging .and holding bar which is-made independent of the body of the slide or buckle and rigidly attached thereto, and differs in this respect from the one-piece structure shown in the patent referred to, as I will proceed now to explain more fully and finally claim. I 1

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the device mounted on a looped suspender end. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the slide buckle or slide loop detached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the strap-engaging and holding bar. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 55 of Fig. 3, both Figs. 4 and 5 being on a larger scale than what is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

As shown, the invention comprises a button loop made of wire, and having a body portion provided with the upper cross bar 1, the depending sides 2, 2, and the inturned portions 3, 3,

which are substantially parallel with the upper cross bar and from the ends of which depend the bulged spring elements 4, 4 terminating in the contracted throat 5 and adjacent eyes 6, 6 in f which eyes is swung a button-engaging member 86 "7. The details of construction above described may be varied, since the application of the novel feature of the invention is permissible with other types of slide buckles or loops.

erably is made of sheet metal or formed wire, with a central longitudinal opening or slot 9 and the laterally extending end pieces 10, saidend pieces being of a length sulficiently greater than '1 the slotted portion of the bar to be bent around the sides 2, 2 and rigidly held in position on such sides so as to rigidly and immovably fix the bar 8 on the sides. These end pieces may be cut put, as at 11, so as not to obstruct the openings ing members 13, 13, and these divided portions terminate in or are otherwise provided with The strap-engaging and holding bar 8, pref prongs 14, 14 as a, further aid in effecting a secure connection with the strap.

Theupper flanged edge of the strap-engaging, and holding bar 8 and the divided lower portions 13, 13 are on opposite sides of the opening 9 and parallel therewith, and the longitudinal edges of this bar are parallel with the cross bar 1 and the inturned portions 3,3 so that spaces are left in and above and below the bar 8 for facilitatin the application of the strap.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the strap 15 is made with a loop 16 so that the loop of the strap'end may be passed through the space between the bars 1 and 8 and over the flanged bar and then through the opening 9 and then around the divided portions 13, 13 by buckling the loop lengthwise so as to pass between the members of the divided portion and then expand or flatten out naturally. The bite of thestrap-engagingand holding bar on the bight in the loop of the strap is enhanced by the flange and the turn around the divided portions and the prongs 14, 14. Adjustment, in order to compensate for different lengths of strap, is effected by loosening the loop in the strap from its engagement with the buckle members, thereby permitting the increase or shortening of the effective length of the strap.

As will be seen, the transverse strap engaging and holding bar is in one piece. It may be applied, as shown, to a wire body member or buckle part, but obviously it is equally applicable to a body or buckle part otherwise made. Also, as shown, this bar 8 may be made of sheet metal, and in addition to subserving the purposes previously mentioned, it also serves to strengthen or reinforce the body of the buckle. It also permits the engagement with the strap, the end of which is preformed as a loop, thus avoiding the necessity of threading in a single thickness of the strap back and forth bodily and bending such thickness back upon itself.

As shown, particularly in Fig. 3, the sides 2, 2 may be deflected inwardly at the points 1'7, 17, where the ends 10, 10 of the strap-engaging and holding bar are crimped or turned about them, in order to definitely locate and effectively hold the bar in place and prevent its accidental movement.

Variations in details of construction are permissible within the principle of the invention and the scope of the claims following.

What I claim is:-

1. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, having a body portion provided with an upper cross bar and parallel depending side bars, a transversely arranged strap-engaging and holding bar provided with laterally extending end pieces which are bent around and rigidly secured to said side bars thereby holding the strap-engaging and holding bar immovably in place, said strap-engaging and holding bar including an upper continuous member spaced apart from said upper cross bar and a lower substantially parallel divided member spaced apart from said continuous member and forming therewith a slot to permit the passage of a strap.

2.111 a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, having a body portion provided with an upper cross bar and parallel depending side bars, a transversely arranged strap-engaging and holding bar provided with laterally extending end pieces which are bent around and rigidly secured to said side bars thereby holding the strap-engaging and holding bar immovably in place, said strap-engaging and holding bar in-- cluding an upper continuous member spaced apart from said upper cross bar and a lower substantially parallel divided member spaced apart from said continuous member and forming therewith a slot to permit the passage of a strap, the upper continuous member having its upper edge provided with a backwardly turned flange to insure a bight on a strap.

3. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, having a body portion provided with an upper cross bar and parallel depending side bars, a transversely arranged strap-engaging and holding bar provided with laterally extending end pieces which are bent around and rigidly secured to said side bars thereby holding the strap-engaging and holding bar immovably in place, said strap-engaging and holding barincluding an uppercontinuous member spaced apart from said upper cross bar and a lower substantially parallel divided member spaced apart from said continuper continuous member spaced apart from said upper cross bar and a lower substantially parallel divided member spaced apart from said continuous -member and forming therewith a slot to permit the passage of a strap,said divided member having downwardly projecting prongs whereby a looped strap end may be buckled lengthwise and passed between the parts of the divided members and thereafter spread over said parts and flattened out to engage the prongs. j

5. In a slide buckle having a body portion provided with side bars and an upper cross bar, a transversely arranged strap-engaging and holding bar provided with laterally extending endpieces which are bent around and rigidly secured at its ends to said bars and spaced apart at top and bottom from said body portion and having a continuous upper cross piece and a substantially parallel divided lower cross piece separated by a slot, said strap-engaging and holding bar in conjunction with said upper cross bar adapted to engage with a strap end formed as a loop, which loop is applied to the lower divided cr'osspiece by lateral movement relative to said divided por tion. 7 HENRY G. LITTLEJOHN. 

